While the big boys in the family are asking for expensive gifts...B just wants an electric pan (for pretend cooking, he says), or a hug. I love that boy.

http://portablenorthpole.tv/watch/3a61632dae46e5b8ff263e353b6d6571

My husband got a message from the man in the red suit!

I am linking up with the Holiday Virtual Tour of Homes @ Tip Junkie.

I like to keep my decorations simple & kid-friendly

due to the rough-housing that ensues with 4 boys & a little girl.

The majority of my decor (not just Christmas decor) is 2nd-hand, homemade, or repurposed.

Welcome to my home...

My favorite ornaments are the clear 1$ store ones.

I put pics of Santa & the kids inside them.

My freezing front porch (-15 with wind chill).

Talk about staging a picture...I had to crop closely to the wreath

so as not to get the dead mouse my dog just caught.

"Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse."

Merry Christmas, Everyone.

This week in review

I took some family pictures, you know the kind where you hurry & push the self-timer button, run back to your family, squish yourself into your spot, set a child on your lap, and smile like you're having fun. t cried the whole time. Nothing brings the love out of our family like family pictures!

I have been having too much fun with photoshop (refer to above pic). I took this pic of E right before the "photo shoot." I just set her behind one of my old empty frames...she wasn't that interested. Anyway, I just added a random pic of roses from the internet & made the whole thing look like a painting. I could have erased her sippy, but that would be like erasing one of her appendages...she always has a sippy.

C's 2009 wrestling season came to an end, today. He got 5th place @ the state tournament. Josh said that he did great. He lost to the kids who got 1st & 2nd.

T's basketball season started Friday.

It has been so cold this week, I'm ready to move to Hawaii!

And there you have it.

Holy Moley, I almost left out one of the biggest things that happened this week. Josh bought a wrestling mat that arrived on Friday. Our basement is an official "beat the tar out of your brother room!"

I hope that your week has been fun-filled!

And there you have it.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am thankful for all of my turkeys...

this one may be small,

but he's the biggest turkey!

FHE with an object lesson.

Halloween wasn't just a day of tricks & treats. It was the day of the boys' first wrestling tourney of the year. I know, I said it was off-season. I didn't realize the boys were going to wrestle before & after basketball this year. Surprise! I missed the memo.

T isn't going to wrestle until after basketball, so it is just C & B. This is B's first year, & he loves it! He especially loves his medal...he placed 2nd.

C placed 2nd, also. He wasn't too happy about it. He is as competitive as his Daddy when it comes to sports! He lost one match in overtime. The kid who beat him is a little brother of the SFHS state champ wrestler--Brock Banta. C is a champ, himself! I'm proud of my boys & their hard work & determination.